Genesis 50 — Thoughts

Are You Out of Place?

Do you ever feel like you're not where you're supposed to be?

I wonder if that's how Joseph and his brothers felt at the end of Genesis. God had promised the land of Cannan to His people again and again. He promised it to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21. He promised it to Isaac in Genesis 26:3. And He promised it to Jacob in Genesis 28:13.

And yet, Genesis doesn't close with Joseph and His brothers in Cannan. Instead, they're in Egpyt. And if they could have known that their descendants would later become slaves in Egypt, they would have felt even more out of place.

As Christians, we can often feel out of place as well.⁠ This world is not our home after all (John 17:16). We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20), and Jesus is preparing a place for us there (John 14:3). And yet, we still live in this world for now.

The reason for this is that God has a purpose for us here. While we live, we are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). We're meant to be His hands and feet on the earth (1 Corinthians 12:27) — His voice to share the Gospel with others (Acts 1:8).

Our earthly lives have a heavenly purpose. That's why we're reminded to keep our focus on the things of God (Matthew 6:19-20) and warned not to get wrapped up in the things going on around us (2 Timothy 2:4).

So for now, we are like Canaanites in Egypt. But we can make the most of our time here — we can tell those around us about Jesus while we can.

(Originally written September 29, 2020)